Changes in the Fine Structure of Cellulosic Fibres During Enzymatic Degradation

This research investigates changes occurring in lyocell fibres resulting from enzymatic degradation. This study also describes a comparison of enzymatic degradation of cotton, viscose, and lyocell fibres. FTIR micro-spectroscopy has been applied in combination with SEM micrographs to show the effect of enzyme hydrolysis on the fine structure of cellulosic fibres. Enzyme treated viscose and lyocell fibres have more hydrogen bonds than untreated samples. An important results is that enzyme treatment prevents of lyocell fibres fibrillation. In viscose and lyocell fibres the enzymatic attack are characterized by localized erosion patterns which are probably sites of action of enzyme. In the case of cotton enzyme treated sample, lateral cracks in the fibrillar sheet are observed. The results demonstrate increasing of fluidity and crystallinity index in the enzyme treated viscose and lyocell fibres, but no significant changes in that of treated cotton fibres. The average molecular chain length changes of cotton treated and untreated samples is significantly less than those that of treated and untreated viscose and lyocell fibres

Keywords:

cellulose fibre , lyocell , enzyme , celluase , FTIR micro-spectroscopy